Refrigerator container for container cars



4 Shegts-Sheet 1 G. C. WOODRUFF REFRIGERATOR CONTAINER FOR CONTAINERCARS Filed Sept.

July 24, 1934.

gwumioz GIPHHHM C WOOD/PUFF July 24, 1934.

G. C. WOODRUFF REFRIGERATOR CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed Sept. 15,1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l I l lllulllll l l r July 24, 1934. G. cjwooDRuFFREFRIGERATOR CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed Sept. 15, 1931 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Qm MW. m Q V. m mm Q mv km N m \w um July 24, 1934. G. c.WOODRUFF 1,967,277

REFRIGERATOR CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed Sepi. 15, 1951 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July 24, 1934 UNITED STAT aarmcaaaroa CONTAINERson comma CARS Graham 0. Woodruif, Bronxville, N. Y., assignor to The L.Delaware 0. L. Corporation, a corporation of Application September 15,1931, Serial No. 562,982

7 Claims.

This invention relates to containers for container cars of that typedesigned for the shipment in containers of less than car lots, andparticuiarly to containers designed to be used in conjunction with dropside container compartment cars in which the containers are adapted tobe shifted into and out of the car compartments on lift-type loading andunloading trucks or by suitable hoisting mechanism.

One object of the invention is to provide a container for container carswhich is especially constructed to hold a suitable refrigeratingmedium,such as dry ice, whereby the interior of the container may be kept at apredetermined low temperature for the preservation during shipment ofperishable goods.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container of thischaracter which provides for a reliable and efiicient circulation of theair through the container and its refrigerating compartment, whereby allportions of the container will be kept at the predetermined lowtemperature desired.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a container of thecharacter described in which the walls of the container are mostefliciently insulated against temperature changes within the container,and whereby the container may be exposed in transit to intenseatmospheric heat without materially influencing itsinternaltemperature.'

A still further object of the invention is to provide a container madeof a composite structure of wood and metal in such a manner as tofurnish a container of great strength and resistance to injury, but atthe same time of comparatively light weight.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts,hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a refrigerator container for containercars constructed in accordance with my invention. j

Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the same with the roof omitted.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through thecontainer.

Fig. 4 is a vertical'frqnt-to-rear or longitudinal section thereof.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through one of theside walls and portionsof the front and rear end walls of the container taken on a plane suchasindicatedbylineHofFigi.

Fig. 6 is a similar view through the front wall and door of thecontainer. 1

' Fig. 7 is a vertical section through a portion of the base and frontand door of the container.

Fig. 8 is a view on an enlarged scale showing the means for insulatingor sealing the spaces between the surfaces of the door and doorway ofthe container.

In the practical embodiment of my invention I provide a container 1 ofoblong or oblong rectangular' form; that shown in the present instancebeing of oblong rectangular form and providedat its corners withsupporting feet 2 and at its top with lifting links 3. In its structuralorganization the container comprises a bottom .4, side walls 5, frontand rear end walls 6 and 7, a ceiling 8 and a roof 9.

The container is preferably one of a composite type of wood, metal andinsulating material, the parts being so combined, arranged and connectedand reinforced as to provide a container of great strength but ofcomparatively light weight. The bottom and walls of the container areaccordingly constructed of elements of sheet metal and wood combined andreinforced in a novel manner and associated with insulating material tomaintainthe interior of the container at a predetermined lowtemperature.

The bottom wall 4 consists of a lower sheet metal floor sheet 10 and anupper sheet metal floor sheet 11, the upper floor sheet 11 beingflanged, as at 12, or of rectangular pan-shaped formation so as toprovide a strong and durable type of floor surface lapping the lowerportions sills 15 and transverse floor beams or joists 16,

between which sills and beams or joists are placed slabs or sections 1'701 a lower layer of corkboard or equivalent insulating material. Thesills 13, 14 and 15 are bolted or otherwise suitably secured to thebottom sheet 10, and extending between the sills 14 and 15 and restingthereon and on the beam 16 and the corkboard layer 17, arelongitudinally extending floor joists or beams 18 between which aredisposed slabs or sections 19 of an upper layer of corkboard. The setsof floor beams 16 and 18 and sections or slabs 1? and 19 of corkboardprovide lower and upper insulating layers extending at right angles toeach other in Joint-lapping relation, thus providing a highly efllcient'insulating filler between the'floor sheets 10 and 11. A flooring 20 oftongue and grooved wood may overlie the beams or joists 18 and corkboardslabs 19, which flooring will be covered and protected by the upperfloor sheet 11.

The walls 5, 6 and? respectively include outer metallic sheets 21, 22and 23 forming an outer body sheathing, and which sheets are connectedand reinforced at their corners by angle metal corner pieces 24 withwhich are associated pairs of angle metal stays 25 and 26 arrangedadjacent each comer piece and forming therewith a hollow metallic comerpost. At each corner of the container body are disposed an outer, woodencorner post 27 and an inner wooden corner post 28, each post 27 beingdisposed between the outer flanges of the stays 25 and 26," while theassociated post 28 is fitted between the inner flanges of the stays 25and 26. This arrangement of hollow metallic posts and outenand innerwooden posts enables the container body to be made of maximum strengthat thepcor'ner portions, but of very light weight for its size andstrength, and the wooden post elements provide a means whereby certainparts may be bolted or riveted or otherwise firmly united and otherparts nailed in place so as to adapt the component elements to beassembled and united in a firm, durable and convenient manner. The partsof the bottom 4 are securely tied and united by Z-shaped longitudinallyextending metallic stringers 29 and transversely extending woodenstringers 30 fastened together in an appropriate manner and furnishing asub-frame beneath the bottom sheet 10 whereby the container may besupported upon a lift-type loading and unloading truck without liabilityof damage to its bottom As shown, intermediate posts 31 and 32 areprovided at the front and rear of the container, and the sills 13 and 15are notched to receive the posts 31 and joists 16 which are suitablysecured thereto and the sills 13, 14 and 15 are bolted or riveted to thesheet 10 and legs 2.-

The walls 5, 6 and 7 consist each of an outer metal sheet 21, 22 or 23,as before described, a lining 33 of tongued-and-grooved boards,vertically disposed bottom layers 34 of corkboard, and a main insulatingfilling 35 of mattress type,

the insulating mattresses 35 being fastened to and supported in positionby furring strips 36 and 3'7 secured to the outer metal sheets and tothe linings 33, respectively, and to the front and rear corner posts, ifdesired. Roof carrying beams 38 are supported upon the front and rearcorner posts and fastened to the sidewall sheets and wooden linings andthese beams close the spaces at the upper portions of the side wallsbetween the outer sheets and linings. Metal 2- beams 39 are fastened tothe beams 38 and in 'clude vertical flanges 40 forming risers offsetinwardly from the plane of the outer sheets of the walls 5, 6 and 7 andlying substantially in the plane of the linings of said walls, and thesebeams 39 support the roof 9. This roof 9 is of inverted V-shape, itssides 41 and 42 sloping from a central point toward the container sides5 to form a quick-draining form of water-shed. The-roof 9 is elevatedsufficiently from the ceiling to provide an insulating space 43therebetween which may be packed with suitable insulating material.Beams or girders 44 and 45 lie in this space and are fastened to andreinforce the ceiling 8 and risers 40.

The front wall 6 corresponds in construction with the side and rearwalls except that it is provided with an inlet or doorway the frame ofwhich is formed of wooden side posts or lambs 46 lying adjacent to thefront intermediate posts v 31, a wooden lintel beam 47 and a thresholdsill 48 overlying the front sill 14. Flanged metal plates 49, 50 and 51respectively cover the jambs, lintel and threshold sill and the linteland threshold strips and their plates 49, 50 and .51 are formed toprovide beveled seat faces at the top and bottom and one side of thedoorway. A door 52 is provided to close the doorway and comprises anoutermetal sheet 53, an inner wooden lining 54 reinforced by stiffeningbattens 55, a wooden frame formed of pairs of outer and inner stiles 56and 57 and top and bottom rails 58 and 59 fastened to each other and tothe metal sheet and lining, and a blanket insulation 60 disposed betweenthe metal sheet and lining and secured to reinforced furring strips 61.The door is hinged, as at 62, to one of the jambs 46 and may be fastenedin any suitable way at its free edge when in closed position to theother jamb, if desired.

Suitable means may be provided for sealing the joints between themarginal edges of the door frame and the door. As shown, aspring-pressed packing element 63 is provided upon one of the opposedsurfaces of the door frame and door at the bottom, sides and top of thedoor to securely close any crevices between the door frame and door whenthe door is closed. An additional sealing means is also preferablyprovided comprising a sponge rubber gasket 64 cemented in a groove.formed by Z-plates 65 on the door jambs, lintel and threshold sill, andis engaged by a flange on a metallic packing strip 66 on the door,whereby a continuous marginal seal about the door is effected.

Secured to and suspended from the ceiling 8 is an ice bunker or chamber67, preferably 'comprising an aluminum casting of a rectangular shapecorresponding to that of the container but of less length than width sothat its side and end walls are spaced from the side and front and rearwalls of the container. The bunker or chamber is of suflicient depth tohold a proper quantity of a'refrigerant, such as dry ice, designed tokeep the interior of the container; at a proper low temperature for thepreservation of perishable commodities. The bunker is provided in itstop with a'flanged inlet, connected with a flanged inlet opening in apart of the roof 9 by means of a hatch or inlet neck 68 adapted to beclosed by a suitable insulated plug or stopper 69 and a hinged hatch lidor cover 70, such hatch forming a convenient means whereby the bunkermay be replenished with the refrigerant when required. An aircirculating duct 71 extends around the sides and ends of the receptacleand communicates with the bunker by means of outlet and return ducts '72and 73, respectively, whereby cold air or vapor cooled by therefrigerant maybe circuiated and caused to descend into the ladingreceiving space of the container to cool the same, the rising warm airthus displaced passing upward and being chilled and caused to descend inlike manner, so that a continuous cooling and circulation of the cooledair is obtained'.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and mode of operation of my im-"proved refrigerator containers for container cars will be readilyunderstood, and it will be seen that the invention provides containersof this character which are 01' maximum strength to withstand the wearand tear of shipping while at the same time of comparatively lightweight, due to the very effective composite construction of thecontainer of wood and metal parts. container is designed to receiveperishable commodities to be shipped in less than car lots and topreserve the same against deterioration in transit, the refrigeratingmeans employed being highly reliable and efficient for such purposes andthe construction of the container being such that maximum insulation isafforded to adapt the container for exposure to high external heatwithout in any manner affecting its interior temperature.

While the construction disclosed for purposes of exemplification ispreferred, it is to be understood, of course, that changes in the form,proportions and details of construction of the various parts and theirmode of assemblage may be varied to considerable degrees within thescope of the appended claims, without departing fromthe spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim is: 1. A container of the character described havinginsulated side and front and rear walls and an insulated bottomcomprising top and bottom metallic floor sheets, layers of insulationbetween said sheets, wooden elements associated with said insulation tostrengthen and reinforce the same, and stringers arranged upon theunderside of the bottom sheet operative to reinforce said sheets andforming supports to rest upon a lifttype loading truck or the like.

2. A container of the character described having hollow insulated wallsincluding a bottom wall, said bottom wall comprising top and bottommetallic sheets, insulating material between said sheets, legs dependingfrom said sheets at the corners of the container, and metallic andwooden floor stringers disposed on the underside of the bottom sheet andsecured to and arranged at right angles to each other.

3. A container of the character described having insulated wallsincluding a bottom wall, said bottom wall comprising top and bottommetallic floor sheets, sills resting on the lower floor sheet, a lowerlayer of floor beams and corkboard slabs resting on the bottom floorsheet in the space surrounded by the beams, an upper layer of floorbeams and corkboard slabs disposed upon the first-named layer, and aflooring laid on said upper layer between the same and the top metallicfloor sheet.

4. A container of the character described hav- This ing a bottom wallcomprising top and bottom metallic floor sheets, layers of insulationfilling the spaces between said floor sheets, and wooden elementsdisposed between elements of each layer of insulation to strengthen andreinforce the same and the floor sheets.

5. A container of the character described having a bottom wallcomprising top and bottom metallic floor sheets, layers of insulationfilling the space between said floor sheets, wooden elements disposedbetween elements of the layers of insulation to strengthen and reinforcethe same and the sheets, and. stringers arranged upon the underside ofthe bottom floor sheet to rest upon a lift-type loading truck or thelike.

6. A container for container cars having side and front and rear wallsformed each of a spaced outer metallic sheet and an inner wooden lining,and a bottom wall formed of top and bottom metallic floor sheets, layersof vertically disposed corkboard arranged in the lower portions of saidside and front and rear walls between the methe'side and front and rearwalls between the metal sheets and linings above the layers ofcorkboard, furring strips to which said blanket sheets of insulation areattached, layers of insulation between the top and bottom metallic floorsheets, and wooden elements disposed between elements of the layers ofinsulation between the floor sheets to strengthen and reinforce the sameand said floor sheets.

7. A container for container cars having side and front and rear wallsformed each of a spaced outer metallic sheet and an inner wooden lining,and a bottom wall formed of top and bottom metallic floor sheets, layersof vertically disposed corkboard arranged in the lower portions of saidside and front and rear walls between the metallic sheets and linings,blanket insulation in the side and front and rear walls between themetallic sheets and linings above the layers of corkboard, furringstrips to which said blanket sheets of insulation are attached, layersof insulation between the top and bottom metallic floor sheets, woodenelements disposed between elements of the layers of insulation betweenthe floor sheets to strengthen and reinforce said insulation and saidfloor sheets, and stringers arranged upon the underside of the bottomsheet to rest upon a lift-type loading truck or the like.

GRAHAM C. WOODRUFF.

tallic sheets and linings, blanket insulation in

